The present invention relates to a table top ball game but is not limited to such. It is particularly related to soccer (football) game type tables having user operated rods that control player figures located at positions above the playing surface. The present invention encompasses soccer games as well as other kicking ball and carrying ball type games such as Australian Rules football and Gaelic Football.
Soccer table top ball game apparatuses have been known for many years. These games generally comprise a substantially horizontal flat playing surface which is enclosed within a rectangular open top “box”. The playing surface is typically rectangular with four sidewalls that define right-angled corners. Goal openings are provided at the centre of each end wall extending along the short sides of the rectangular playing surface.
There are a number of parallel mounted user operated rods that are used to control the player figures that populate the game's playing surface. Typically each user operated rod extends through bores provided in each of the game long sidewalls of the open top box. These user operated rods are located at equidistant height above the playing surface and in a substantially perpendicular orientation to the long sidewalls.
Typically there are a total of eight user operated rods, four rods for each soccer team although other configurations are possible. Generally the rods have a handle at one end. Each team has alternating rods with their handles extending out a common sidewall such that one or more players for one team can stand on one side of table top ball game and control their teams players while the one or more players of the opposing team control their rods by handles extending from the opposing sidewall and the one or more players of the opposing team can stand on the opposing side of the table top ball game. The rod closest to each goal represents the respective goalie. One or more player figures are mounted on each user operated rod such that the player figures are suspended above the playing surface.
Each user operated rod is mounted with the handle and limiting means used by a game user to both rotate the rod and the player figures mounted thereon, as well as shift the lateral position of the player figures within a limited range relative to the playing surface.
The soccer game may be played by each game user controlling the player figures on the user's team to advance a game ball past the opponent's player figures and into the opponent's goal.
Due to inherent limitations on the length and reach of the user operated rods, it may not be possible for the player figures to reach a ball located in one of the corners or on the boundary. Thus, the corners and the boundary may constitute a “dead spot” on the playing surface.
Accordingly, there is a need for a soccer table top ball game apparatus that eliminates dead spots at the boundary of the playing surface, and/or reduces the tendency of the game ball from resting in these dead spots.
Dead spots can also be found within the boundaries of the playing surface, where the ball may come to rest at a position that is in a parallel line with the user operated rods and is between the rows of player figures. In this case neither player is able to reach the ball with their player figures.
Accordingly, there is a need for a soccer table top ball game apparatus that eliminates dead spots within the playing surface, and/or reduces the tendency of the game ball from resting in these dead spots.
Many current versions of these ball table games are constructed such that the player operated rod extends completely through the opposite side of the outer enclosure. This provides a simple means of construction but has the disadvantage of obstructing the player on the opposite side of the table game. The protrusion of a user operated rod can also cause injury to a player on the opposite side of the table top ball game apparatus by poking into such player or by that player running into a protruding rod. Furthermore players on the opposite side of the table game can frustrate a player by deliberate obstruction of the player's user operated rod.
There is a need for a simple means of preventing the user operated rod from protruding the game enclosure on the opposite side of the game enclosure. There is also a need for a table top ball game with a game playing surface that more closely resembles the playing area of the actual game being played